Derby City Council looks for sponsorship to keep Markeaton Park fireworks alive

Fireworks and fun at last year's Markeaton Park bonfire night event. Derby City Council is now exploring whether or not it could use sponsorship to help raise the £50,000 needed to stage the event this year.

Derby City Council looks for sponsorship to keep Markeaton Park fireworks alive

The fireworks event, which cost £49,700 last year, has previously been free to enter but Councillor Martin Repton, cabinet member for leisure and culture, said the council was continuing to consider charging as a possibility.

He said: "Many other councils in the country can no-longer afford to provide free bonfire events and charge."

And Mr Repton said the authority was also striving to get sponsorship for a "number of events".

Claire Davenport, director of leisure and culture, said no costs were covered by sponsorship last year.

She said there was "support in kind, provided by the media partner for this event, Capital FM (Global Media)".

She said Derby Live was seeking sponsorship for all areas of its programmes.

Mrs Davenport said: "Any sponsor would receive a range of benefits dependent on the level of their financial contribution. This could include the publishing of their logo and accreditation on Derby Live marketing materials, such as printed and digital media reaching 700,000 people, as well as the opportunity for branding at the [fireworks] event itself reaching a potential audience of 30,000 people.

"There would also be the opportunity for brand alignment and credit in promotional articles relating to the event, with the opportunity to gain valuable media coverage and brand association with one of Derby's largest outdoor events, with the opportunity to reach new customers and raise profile."

She added: "The council will continue to explore all options to increase income and reduce the subsidy required for events such as the firework display.

"To produce a cash neutral event would be the ideal position, which would mean a sum in the region of £50,000 would be required from sponsorship and or income generation. The display will take place this year."

George Cowcher, Chief Executive of the Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire Chambers of Commerce Group, said supporting an event like the fireworks may "not net the sponsor a huge return on their investment in terms of profile or exposure"

But he added: "Many local businesses are keen to support initiatives which bring people together in Derby and be seen to be putting something back into the communities in which they are based."

The fireworks are so tame now they may as well not bother. Though I'd rather it went on fireworks than helping people who aren't from this country find work here when we've got millions of British unemployed.

Why should they be looking for a 50K sponsorship when they have just given away 118K of our money on a worthless none British project and putting two fingers up to the unemployed who are genuinely looking for work